A Belgian artist, Gabriel Laufer will perform the Balinese dance opera “Panji Semirang” in the Bali World Culture Celebration (BWCC), a series of the 45th Bali Arts Festival, at the Ksirarnawa Building, Taman Budaya Bali Province, Wednesday 12th of July 2023.
Laufer will collaborate with Balinese artist, Made Wardana. They act as scriptwriters and directors; apart from that, they will also present joint dialogues or bonds for around 1.5 hours. This Balinese dance opera will also bring several other traditional arts from various regencies in Bali, such as Banjar Pegok, Sesetan Traditional Village, and Denpasar. Banjar Pegok is the hometown of the artist Made Wardana. The dance operas Janger, Gambuh and Genggong are examples of dance operas developed in Banjar Pegok. The dance opera originating from Banjar Pegok was first recorded on a video in 1936.
“The performance of the Balinese dance opera ‘Panji Semirang’ aims to popularise the Indonesian Panji legend, as well as respect and preserve the ancient art forms of Janger, Gambuh and Genggong,” said Laufer while preparing for the performance at Balai Banjar Pegok, Thursday 6th of July 2023.
Laufer, who has lived in Jakarta since 2013, said that Gambuh art originally came from Pedungan Village and Batuan Village. However, Laufer said Gambuh art in Sesetan Village (Pegok) has the oldest history. For this reason, the performance of Duo Made, stage names Gabriel Laufer and Made Wardana, will also involve Sekaa Cak Danjur, Banjar Pegok, and Sesetan Traditional Village, mostly filled with teenage artists. “So this is also an effort to revitalise and regenerate Balinese heritage,” he said.
The Balinese dance opera Panji Semirang tells of the existence of the Asmarantaka Forest, which is not far from the Kingdom of Daha, East Java. In the Asmarantak Forest, the people there live happily. They are blessed with volcanoes that ensure fertile soil, shady trees, sunshine, rivers and waterfalls that refresh the atmosphere, thousands of flowers delight the eye, fruits abound, and the richness of fauna varies in perfect balance.
The people of Asmarantaka were indebted to their king, Raden Panji Semarang, a man of great caution but also a skilled and formidable warrior who could not be messed with. Without permission, Anyone crossing the Panji Semarang area will face severe consequences, namely losing all their possessions and being sentenced to detention. Although the sentences were relatively light, the hostages quickly got used to freedom in these magical places as they found joy there. On the other hand, with this pleasant atmosphere, Raja Panji Semirang looked sad. At night, a tragic flute can be heard, carrying a secret that no one knows about.
Gabriel Laufer said the story of Panji Semirang is a legend with themes and values that can still be understood today. Interestingly, apart from highlighting artistic traditions in Bali, the Panji Semirang dance opera will also be accompanied by Gabriel Laufer’s percussion, which has won awards for the past 20 years.
Laufer has shown his passion for traditional Balinese art since he moved to Bali more than 20 years ago. Laufer’s passion for traditional Balinese dance and art seems timeless. Now Laufer and Made Wardhana are ready to show the beauty of Balinese dance opera on the international stage through BWCC 2023.
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